


Lover of the Light

by PurrfectCatastrophe



Category: Free!, Iwatobi Swim Club - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Kids being dumb, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-16
Updated: 2014-02-08
Packaged: 2018-01-08 21:43:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1137716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurrfectCatastrophe/pseuds/PurrfectCatastrophe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I decided to fill a Prompt from AllOutPerfectBody your world of text page.</p><p>"[Rei] Stopping the prince from running away when he's young (yet he's only a kid himself)"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One: The Prince Card

**Author's Note:**

> I went on ahead and began to fill this prompt about Prince!Rin running away and Rei stops him.
> 
> It might not be what anon had in mind. Since Rin will technically Run away but not forever and Rei will convince him to return the palace eventually.
> 
> Rin will be 11 and Rei will be 10 in this.
> 
>  
> 
> I hope you all enjoy it!

“Stupid!” 

A pillow was thrown across the room knocking over a picture frame sending it crashing to the ground.

“Thoughtless!”

Scarlet silk sheets were yanked roughly off the bed and crumpled to the floor in a pile.

“Liar!” 

A handmade toy of a “shark” was slammed to the ground.

“Awful!”

Books were pulled from the large bookshelf and fell to the floor with dull thuds.

“Jerk!”

Rin moved to try and flip the table in his room only to be intercepted by his mother. Rin glared up at her with surprised eyes that glistened in the light. When had she entered his room? Had she seen everything he had been doing? She released her gentle grip on his wrists and picked up her son despite him being eleven. Rin struggled in her grasp to continue on his rampage throughout his room not caring if he looked foolish. She sat on the ruined bed and soothingly rubbed Rin’s hair until he clutched onto her and finally let his tears fall. She hummed softly letting her son cry till he felt better.

“Does he not care about me?” Rin asked through his sobs.

“Oh course he does dear and I’m sure if he could he’d be here.” She answered softly. 

“T-t-t-this is the f-f-f-f-fifth time though!” Rin stuttered unable to control his voice.

“Shhh I know dear. I know.” 

Rin buried his face in her dress and tried to gain control of his breathing. His mother calmly lifted his face and rubbed the tears off his face. She kept her face calm and caring despite the rage she felt swirling inside her. Her husband had once again left the kingdom during their son’s birthday. He had promised to be there and actually spend the day with Rin only to leave early in the morning for a meeting with other royals. She knew he had scheduled this meeting ahead of time forgetting that date was also his son’s birthday. Oh if she could she’d throttle that man. Once Rin had finally calmed down enough to breathe properly his mother kissed his forehead and pulled back slightly.

“Here let us take a walk in the gardens that will help clear your mind.” She suggested lovingly. Rin didn’t have the energy to argue so he gently slid off the bed and grabbed onto her dress once she stood up and they left the room. She nodded to a servant to go in and fix the room before turning to the right and walking down the long large hallway. The walk was quiet and peaceful both members of the royal family lost in their own thoughts.

The double doors leading outside were opened for them revealing a large open courtyard. The courtyard was occupied the the heads of the royal guards and about thirty children around Rin's age. The guards bowed to the queen and prince before continuing their lesson. Rin couldn't help himself and he looked behind him at the kids. All of them were facing forward and stood as straight as possible. 

‘so that’s how young they start?’ Rin thought to himself before catching the eye of a blue haired kid with glasses on. Red eyes met purple so Rin gave him a grin which caused the kid to blush and face forward once more. Rin chuckled quietly and entered the large garden with his mother. The two walked through the tall neatly trimmed hedges and let the soothing aura of the garden cover them like a warm blanket. Around the end of the garden Rin paused at a strange sound barely audible if it was even slightly louder than it was. He and grabbed his mother’s hands dragging her in the direction of the noise not wanting to lose it. Rin stopped and dropped to his knees not caring about his clothes and lifted up the leaves of a bush.

Inside was a pile of sleepy and squirming kittens that couldn't have even been four months old. Rin picked up a gray one and held it in his arms excited to have found them. He rubbed the kitten’s head and smiled when it began purring. Rin grinned up happily to his mother who knelt down beside he son and picked up a kitten for herself.

“My, my what a surprise this is!” She cooed as she gently rubbed the kittens’ ears. 

“Can we keep them?” Rin asked with wide eyes. Rin’s mother pretended to think about it before laughing softly and agreeing. She set the kitten down and told Rin to watch them while she gathered a basket for them. Rin promised to watch them like a desert hawk convinced with this his mother left for the basket. As Rin counted the kittens (four in total) he suddenly thought about that blue haired boy when he spotted a slightly blueish looking kitten. He had never seen hair or eyes like that in his life and he had to admit he was interested. 

When his mother returned they gathered up the kittens setting them in the basket lined with soft cloth. Rin offered to stay behind for a little bit to make sure there were no more kittens left hiding in the bushes. It was a small lie. Yes Rin would be searching for kittens but he didn’t plan on doing so alone. With a promise to be careful Rin waited for a while before making his way to the courtyard. The kids were still there but this time they had small buckets of sand on their heads for a training exercise. Rin spotted the blue haired kid and made his way over to him avoiding the gaze of the guards around. He poked the boy in his side enjoying the way the boy whined slightly. 

“Hey what’s your name?” Rin demanded more than asked. The boy glanced down at him startled by the fact the prince had not only asked for his name but poked him.

“I’m not allowed to talk.” The boy whispered facing forward again. He did his best to ignore Rin not wanting to get in trouble.

“You talked just then.” Rin pointed out with a smug smile. The boy sighed in annoyance and hardened his face which ended up looking like a pout. Rin waited patiently for the boy to give in to him.

“Ryuugazaki Rei.” The boy answered after a while.

“Good Rei you’re going to help me.”

“Matsuoka-sama I cannot leave this spot during training.” Rei explained desperately hoping that Rin would just leave already.

“But this happens to be a very important matter and as prince I’m not asking I’m telling you to come with me.” Rin huffed crossing his arms. He knew it was a cheap move to pull the prince card on the boy but it got what he wanted. Rei slowly removed the bucket from his head hands trembling as Rin quickly clutched his hand and dragged him to the back of the garden. 

\--

“Matsuoka-sama what exactly am I doing?” Rei asked his voice barely above a squeak. This was beyond rule breaking. He was going to be kicked out of the palace and have to go home a failure. Oh if only the Prince had just left him alone. Then he wouldn’t have brought such dishonor to his family and their cow. 

“Kitten hunting.” Rin answered with a grin before dropping to the ground where he last found the kittens.

“Matsuoka-sama your clothes!” Rei whisper shouted. He lifted his hands unsure of what to do. He was quite sure touching the prince would get his hands cut off or something. Rin looked up at him puzzled before dragging Rei down by his out stretched hand. Rei landed on his hands and knees with a grunt and adjusted his glasses. 

“Come on you look to there might be more kittens.” Rin instructed and he continued to crawl on the ground. His anger at his father was fading away as he continued to tease this interesting boy. Rei gave in once more and crawled in the opposite direction keeping an ear open for any signs of a kitten. Rin watched secretly feeling slightly bad that the kid was so earnestly working at his orders.

“Matsuoka-sama!” Rei called out slightly frantic. Rin rushed to Rei’s side and dropped next to him not expecting to actually find anything. Rin peered in the crack of rose bushes where a small kitten was mewling softly. It was trapped in the thorns and every time it moved more thorns dug into its skin. Rei frowned and took off his glasses handing them to Rin. Rin blinked and watched in awe as Rei crawled forward despite the thorns. 

“Hey wait Rei! Maybe we should get someone!” Rin offered once he was brought back to earth.

“No time.” Rei grunted as he crawled forward. Rin shuffled nervously at Rei's side unsure of what to do. Rin was utterly star struck over this kid. Not only did he agree to go along with Rin's stupid wishes but he would crawl through rose bushes for a kitten.

Rei felt the thorns scrape at his arms and face as he reached for the kitten that was still slightly out of reach. When Rin finally came back to earth he pulled out his dagger and handed it to Rei who used it to cut the vines the kitten was trapped in. Rei gently ushered the kitten closer to his hands. Once he picked it up he carried the kitten out of the bushes and held it gently in his arms. Rin sheathed the dagger and looked at Rei who could only stare back with unbelieving eyes. Both boys were covered in dirt, their hair messy and oddly sticking up, Rei’s face was covered in scratches. The two took in the other’s appearance before laughing freely. Unable to stop the boys sat down and continued laughing till it bubbled down to a giggle fit. 

“There you are!” A gruff voice shouted at the boys startling them. Rei cried out as a hand roughly grabbed him by the arm dragging him up. Rei held the kitten close not wanting it to fall out of his arms. The leader of the guard glared at Rei with harsh eyes and shook him roughly. “Thought we wouldn’t notice you running off huh?!” 

“That’s not what happened I told him to come with me!” Rin defended once he found his voice. “He helped rescue a kitten.” 

“No excuses! He knows the rules. You come with me right now.” The man dragged Rei away after transferring the kitten to Rin’s arms. Rin caught Rei’s eyes and felt his heart break at the sight of the boy who looked to be on the verge of tears. Rin followed them trying to explain to the man that it was all Rin’s doing and his alone. The guard eventually gave in once Rin threatened to bring his mother into the situation. Rei was spared any harsh punishment but he would have to clean the training area inside the palace every night for a week starting with today. Rei accepted this with a quivering lip and eyes filled with unshed tears. The man left the two alone to document the punishment and ready the supplies for the night.

“I’m sorry.” Rin apologized once they were alone.

“…”

“Thank you for rescuing the kitten.” Rin tried again.

“…”  
Rin sighed realizing he wasn’t going to get anywhere at the moment and left with one last apology. He tried to catch Rei’s eyes but the boy wouldn’t turn around to face him. 

\--

Sleep wouldn’t come. 

Every time Rin closed his eyes he was greeted with those same tear filled purple ones. Feeling utterly guilty to the point he didn’t even eat at dinner. A servant had brought him a plate of food to eat in case he did ever feel like eating. Rin stared at the plate resting on the table and resolved to make things better with Rei. The guard posted by his door was surprised when the prince exited his room with a plate of untouched food in hand. 

“Lead me to the guards' training area please.” Rin instructed with a serious face. The guard nodded without question and turned to guide the prince. Dim torch lights lit the hallways of the palace but they didn't help much at all. Rin squinted slightly to see but quickly gave up instead sticking close to the guard. Rin realized they were walking in the general direction of the courtyard but took a left turn twenty feet from the door down a hall. At the end of the hall was a large door when they approached it the guard opened it and sure enough Rei was inside cleaning. Rin nodded his thanks and entered the room nervously. Rei looked up from his cleaning and quickly ducked his head back down at the sight of the prince. 

“I brought you some food and company.” Rin whispered. Rei didn’t respond and focused on cleaning the floor. Rin sat down at the steps and was promptly shut down at every attempt at conversation.

“What’s your favorite color?”

“You should be in bed.”

“Do you have a favorite animal?”

“I really don’t want to talk.”

“Do you have any siblings?”

“Not important.”

“Sometimes I dream I’m a shark and I hang out with this dolphin and we race each other.” Rei paused from his cleaning looking up at Rin with a baffled expression. 

“I don’t know how to respond to that.” Rei admitted.

“You could actually talk to me. I’m trying to apologize here.” Rin groaned as he threw his arms in the air.

“Please leave Matsuoka-sama I don’t want to get in trouble again.” Rei pleaded eyes downcast. Rin sighed sadly and got up.

“Alright but I’ll leave the food for you.” Rin explained before he got up and left.

The food sat untouched all night.

\--

The next two nights Rin brought him food the same thing happened as the first night. Questions were asked but no answers were given so they hung in the air. The silence was crushing and only intensified the sounds around them. Rei ignored him until it got too much to handle and he asked Rin to leave him alone. Rin would leave then the plate always left behind but always untouched. Rin refused to give up though. He would atone for his actions and to get Rei to laugh like he had when they first met. It was such a lovely laugh and Rin wanted to hear more of it. Rei did his best to ignore Rin but that sad face he’d give him every time he left was breaking his will.

On the fifth visit Rei allowed himself to sit next to Rin and eat the food he was offered. The two didn’t talk Rin too stunned and Rei too embarrassed to speak much. They say in silence and listened to the night time bugs sing their songs making up for the lack of conversation. Rin watched Rei clean as he lay on the steps head resting on his arms slowly falling asleep against his greatest efforts. Rei could only sigh and ask the guard outside to take Rin back to his room. When Rin awoke in his room the next morning he grinned to himself. He was making progress.

The sixth night Rei sat with him again and the two ate the food together. It was quiet again but as Rei went to continue cleaning he uttered a quiet thank you. Rin was surprised for a second time that night when Rei continued talking with him.

“Purple.”

“What?” Rin asked as he set the plate down.

“You asked me what my favorite color was and it’s purple.”

“Oh mines red though black is okay to and blue isn't too bad either.” Rin babbled still shocked that Rei was talking to him.

“I like butterflies but I’ve never seen one in real life only in books. I have an older brother and once I had a dream that I was a butterfly and I was being chased by some weird black and white creature with orange colored feet.” Rei frowned at the end of that confession still confused by that dream.

“I don’t know about any animal like that.” Rin mumbled with a thoughtful face. Rin chuckled trying image the strange animal while Rei turned away to continue cleaning. When Rin ran out of questions to ask he decided he'd helped out with cleaning but ended up making a bigger mess. Rei didn’t yell at him or tell him to leave like Rin was expecting. Instead he showed Rin the proper way to use the cloth and instructed him to sit down before he hurt himself again. Rin agreed already embarrassed after falling on his face once in one night. Rin spent the next day practicing what Rei showed him. So on the final seventh night Rin was able to actually help even a little. Rei was skeptical at first but once Rin showed that he had practiced Rei agreed. 

They began rubbing the floor with the cloth scrubbing up and down the large room in lines. Rin picked up his speed slightly to go ahead of Rei not one to lag behind. Rei frowned and pushed his glasses and sped up to. The two quickly got into a heated race trying to one up one another with their cleaning skills. By the end of the night both boys were dead tired and the room had been cleaned twice over. They lay on the floor breathing heavily and too exhausted to move but well enough to start laughing at their foolish competition.

Rin grinned at Rei who return it weakly before promptly drifting off to sleep. Rin yawned loudly and reached over to grab Rei’s glasses setting them aside. After a moment's hesitation Rin grabbed Rei's hand cautiously. He felt the boy grip back lightly in his sleep and Rin scooted closer. Slowly giving in to sleep's sweet embrace Rin realized he couldn’t remember when he last felt this content.

The feeling only lasted for that one night until the morning came along with the news that brought his world crashing around him.


	2. Chapter Two: I Can Wait to be King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin must begin his lessons to become King but he's not interested in such things so soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't do much editing to this one sorry. But I can't stay up any longer and wanted to get this posted.

“We regret to inform you that King Matsuoka has… passed.”

Dead. 

His father was dead. Attacked in the middle of a desert storm by bandits on the way home. The one guard who made it back alive relayed the information before he too passed. It hadn’t even been a week since Rin started feeling content before the feeling was snuffed out. The news left him cold and his mind blank Rin got up stiffly bowed low to the messenger and left the room. He stumbled slightly as he walked back to his room his body completely on autopilot at this point. Rin doesn’t remember much after the fact of entering his room but he wakes up the next morning with red puffy eyes and his sister holding his hand in an attempt to comfort him. 

Rin spent all of his time in his room till he was forced out two days later for the funeral. It started out simple enough with a procession through the city as the sun set when the heat was more bearable. Since there was no recovered body they held a vigil in at the royal tomb with an empty grave right after the procession. The desert at night was cold and the lack of moonlight made it harder to see, but that was hardly on anyone’s mind. Rin remembers crying but he isn’t sure if the tears were oeer his father's dear]th or the thought of his father. The thought that one day he would actually set aside work in exchange for his family. A thought of one day he’d actually be there for his or Kou’s birthday. It felt selfish to think that but Rin couldn’t help himself.

It wasn’t until the empty grave was sealed that he realized he barely knew what his father looked like. Sure there were paintings of him around but those were idealized and fabricated. He had no idea if his father had any scars on his face or moles on his arms. He was either away from home or locked in his private study. The walk back to his room was a lonely one as he requested to take it alone. Rin fell into his bed not bothering to change his clothes too focused on trying to remember what his dad looked like. He ended up falling asleep with a headache and feeling emptier than ever.

\--

“This is absurd! It hasn’t even been a week!” Rin’s mother shouted making the council member with her flinch back. She read the document in her hands again as if the words would somehow change to her liking. She crumpled the paper in her hands and threw it across the room and turned back to the small man cowering behind her. 

“Since when did he make such a decision?” She demanded voice growing darker by the second.

“Kk-King Matsuoka has had this in effect f-f-f-f-for about eight yyyyyears.” The man stuttered out.

“Oh that man is lucky he’s dead or he’d wish he was when I got a hold of him.” The queen muttered. The council member made a strange noise at that and fiddled with his medallion nerviously.

“I absolutely refuse to agree to this.” Queen Matsuoka declared gesturing vaguely to the ruined document. “He is only eleven and it’s much too soon to even talk about being King with Rin.” She sighed deeply. 

Her husband was always doing things like this. Constantly making choices without her consent as if he had to do everything alone. She did truly love her husband but even from beyond the grave he was making things difficult. She had just managed to get Kou to bed and checked on Rin when a servant had announced that a council member needed to speak with her immediately. Upon arriving she was given a document written with the king’s distinctive handwriting on it.

 

_I, King Matsuoka state that from this day onward that if I were to pass away before my son Rin Matsuoka’s Sixteenth birthday that he immediately begin his lessons for learning to rule a kingdom that I have set in place. So long as he is at the age to properly understand the teachings that will be taught to him._

 

It took all of her will to not pick up the chair she was in and throw it against a wall. 

“At least give him time to grieve and get better he is in no state to even comprehend such teachings at the moment.” The queen requests of the council member.

“I a-a-a-assume that’s fair eeeenough. W-w-w-weeee shall g-give him t-t-time to grieve.” 

\--

Two weeks.

Two weeks was all the time they had given Rin to grieve. In those two he spent the first in his room. Kou would sit with him those days reading from some of the books he had. He enjoyed her company and it was better than being left alone with his thoughts. She stayed by his side as long as he needed which was until the second week began. 

Sick of his room Rin would wonder aimlessly around the palace and ended up at the guards’ quarters. Realizing he hadn’t been there for a long time he entered in search of Rei. He found the boy practicing his sword wielding alone in a dimly lit room. Rin watched him for a while entranced by how precise all of his actions were. When Rin made his presence known Rei took one look at him and handed him a practice sword. Rin wondered how Rei knew that he didn’t want any pity or words of condolences.

Once in their starting spots the two rushed each other with childish glee. Rin was pleased to see that Rei didn’t hold back just because Rin was the prince. He would only act like this when no one was around which prompted Rin to always run off to secluded places with Rei. Rin could still make Rei flustered but Rei had long since grown tired of Rin’s antics. Rin easily beat Rei but only because the child seemed to be focused on something else. When Rin asked Rei explained he was focusing on making his movements as beautiful as possible. Rin didn’t get it at all but he went along with it since it seemed important to Rei.

The rest of the second week was spent with Rei only. If he wasn’t in his room he was with the blue haired boy reading countless books in the large library, play fighting, caring for the kittens Rin had found, or star gazing at night time. Even though he had Kou to play with it was nice to be treated as a kid instead of a Prince by someone outside his family. Rin had tried to get Rei to say his first name instead of “Matsuoka-sama” but the boy politely refused every time. 

At dinner that night his mother told him of his fathers wishes for him to begin his lessons early. Rin was less than ecstatic about this already missing being able to just be a kid. He quietly excused himself from the table and retreated back to his room. He wrapped himself in his blankets and despite how late it was he couldn't sleep. 

-

Rin found that learning to be a king is extremely boring. 

His teacher Shiro was a tall man with pale skin as if all he did was stay inside. He wasn't thin nor extremely fit. His hair was an interesting color of white that made his dark eyes more evident. To be honest he was rather intimidating with that scowl he constantly wore on his face. He had zero tolerance for slacking and would slam a book on the table whenever Rin began to nod off. On the first day Shiro explained the history of the kingdom Rin was to rule at the age of eighteen. 

It all started when Rin's great great grandfather a wondering traveler with no aim or direction had happened upon a geyser of water. With no clear explanation as to where it came from or where Yasu Matsuoka quickly claimed it for his own. He made a fortune off the geyser as water was life and people would give anything to live. People began settling near by creating a small village of some sorts. Soon the the village grew into a town and from there a city was brought to life with the palace built around the geyser as the center point of everything. Yasu then married and child and that child grew to inherit what Yasu started and this continued until present time. Now it was Rin's turn and he wasn't feeling up to it.

The second day Rin managed to stay awake through his lessons but he retained nothing of which was said. His mind would constantly wonder and he found himself wondering what Rei was doing. With a pang of sadness Rin realized he never got the chance to inform Rei of his lessons. He hoped his friend wasn't waiting up for him. He was never allowed to drift off much as Shiro was beyond strict. It angered Rin to no end how the man would look down at him as if Rin wasn't worth his time. The room he was in didn't help his temper much either. It was either too hot or too cold in there, quiet to the point it was maddening, and the atmosphere made Rin uncomfortable. As if his presence was unwanted by the bookshelves around him. He requested they move to a more welcoming and friendly place but Shiro shot the idea down. Rin wanted nothing more than to leave the place and go find Rei.

So after the first week of lessons he did.


	3. Chapter Three: Renewed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin finally manages to sneak away and gets the pep talk he needed to hear from Rei.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lightly edited! Sorry for that!

Sneaking away was tougher than Rin thought it’d be. Shiro was constantly watching him and any time he did step away he could even Rin set whatever book he had down. It was both frustrating and admirably how persistent that man was. The first time a tried to sneak away Shiro caught him before he could even get to the door. After getting an extremely long and boring lecture his lessons were extended that day. Rin realized he’d have to be more elaborate if he was to get out. 

On his second attempt he used the excuse of needing to use the rest room. Shiro humored him and allowed Rin his request. Rin was sure he had won until Shiro walked with him to the nearest one. Rin sat there for about ten minutes cursing that awful man. It was an old trick yes but honestly who expected to be followed to go to a bathroom? Rin spent the rest of his lessons sulking quietly with Shiro watched with a smug face. After he forced himself to actually read of page of the text in front of him he finally thought of a better plan.

The only reason it took a week for him to actually sneak out is because that’s how long it took Kou to agree to his plan. Rin realized there was no way he’d be able to do this all by himself. So after dinner he requested Kou’s assistance in sneaking out. At first she flat out shot down the idea and walked away in a small huff muttering about her brother trying to turn her into a criminal. Rin spent good three or so days begging his sister to help him. All he wanted her to do was walk in and say mother needed to speak with him in private. Simple and easy. Kou was less than thrilled with idea but her resolve broke when Rin played the “Rei card”.

“Come on Kou! I’ll take all of the blame if anything goes wrong besides I miss hanging out with Rei and I’m quite sure he’s wondering where I am.” 

“…”

“Okay then guess I’ll just go back to my room tell mom I won’t be eating dinner with you all tonight.”  
Rin turned away and slowly trudged in the direction of his room. Kou watched him leave he resolve breaking at the sight of her brother looking so dejected. Groaning she caught up with Rin and agreed to his plan. Rin grinned in victory and gave his sister a tight hug thanking her over and over. 

\--

Rin peeked over his book for the tenth time to glance at the door hoping that Kou wouldn’t have second thoughts. Shiro was somewhere in the large room sorting parchments but if Rin even so much as sighed Shiro was commenting on it from afar. Just when he had almost given up hope of ever escaping there was a knock on the door. Shiro was there in a matter of moments to answer it. Rin ducked his head behind his book and listened intently.

“My mother sent me to get Rin she wants to speak with him… in private.” Kou nervously lied. Rin held his breathe waiting to see if his plan would work.

“She did now? Why not send a guard to fetch him?” Shiro asked calmly. Rin cursed quietly realizing he hadn’t thought of that. He could just feel the smug smile on that man’s face. Luckily Kou knew how to handle her own.

“Are you doubting me? I don’t like my trustworthiness being put into question I am both upset and disgusted by such a statement.” Kou snapped at Shiro. Rin chanced a glance and practically beamed at the sight of his shocked face. Shiro bowed low apologizing to Kou. She gave him a harsh glare and crossed her arms.

“Rin your mother wishes to speak with you after the fact come straight back here.” Shiro instructed. Rin leapt out of his seat and rushed to the door. Kou gave one last glare at Shiro before he closed the door. Once the worst of Kou’s anger had subsided she turned to Rin.

“What an awful man I can see why you want out of there so badly.” She huffed. Rin quietly thanked her for helping him and they parted ways. 

\--

Rei would never admit it but he had started to miss Rin’s company. Training kept his mind occupied enough but at night or on his free afternoons the loss of Rin’s presence would suddenly weigh on him. Rei wasn’t sure when had become such an important person in his life but he had. Despite being loud, aggravating, full of drama, and utterly irresponsible the young prince had managed to squeeze into Rei’s life. 

He had a free afternoon today. After his morning training and walk around the palace Rei had been left to his own devices. Not many of the other kids enjoyed his company and the feeling was mutual. Some didn’t like how he spent all his time with Prince Rin and other just didn’t like his odd ways. No one ever picked a fight with him though. If it was the fear of Rin or the fact Rei was top of the class that halted any attempts Rei would never know. 

Rei had been running laps on and off all afternoon. He was currently lying on his back on the warm ground. Clouds had blocked out most of the heat which made it easy to do this without seriously hurting himself. Rei knew it was a bad idea to just lay there and let his mind wonder but he couldn’t help himself. It was just too tempting to sit back and just think. The only downside was the thoughts of Rin that barged into other thoughts.

“What Rei isn’t running or doing extra training?”

Speak of the Devil. In this case think of the devil.

“Matsuoka-sama?” Rei opened his eyes to find Rin leaning over him with a large grin.

“Rin.” The red head corrected with a small pout.

“Matsuoka-sama what are you doing here?” Rei asked ignoring the attempt to get him to say “Rin”.

Rin sat down next to Rei and sighed obnoxiously loud before falling back on the ground next to Rei. Yeah Rei honestly didn't miss that part of hanging out with Rin. The Prince glared up at the sky before turning away because his eyes started to hurt. He was quiet pondering if he should confine in Rei before deciding it could do no harm.

“I’m sick of learning how to be a king.” Rin muttered sullenly.

“Oh I had heard something of the sort.” Rei said quietly.

“I don’t even think I want to be king.” Rin admitted casually as if he was saying he didn’t really like to eat sweets. Rei turned to him eyes wide and full of disbelief. The boy pushed up his glasses and opened his mouth to say something but thought better of it. Instead he sat next to Rin until he decided he wanted to continue. Rin lifted his arms and put them behind his head to make himself comfortable.

“It’s just.. so sudden I don’t think I’m cut out for it.” 

“You’ve only just begun though.” Rei pointed out. Rin rolled his eyes and turned his back to Rei. Rin had forgotten how logical Rei was. He was constantly pointing out when he was acting like a brat and as much as Rin appreciated it he hated it to. Rin sulked for a moment thinking about Rei’s words.

“It may not be much but when I started guard training I was awful at and even now I keep getting told what I’m doing wrong.” Rei admitted with a shy chuckle. Rin turned to him shocked at such a confession. 

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I don’t want you to give up so soon like I almost did.” Rei answered with a smile that was almost sad. Rin stood up then and dragged Rei up with him. Rei gave him a startled look but allowed Rin to pull him up. Once the two were standing Rin clasped Rei's hands in his own. The other blushed heavily at this unsure of what was going on

“You’re right!”

“You’re agreeing with me?”

“Be quiet or you’ll ruin the mood.”

Rei gave a small smirk and Rin made a face back at him before continuing.

“You’re right I did give up too quickly and I promise to keep working hard if you promise to do so to and become my main guard when I become king.”

“I’m quite sure there’s no such thing.”

“Do you promise or not?” 

“I promise.”

Rin dropped Rei's hand and held out his own pinkie extend. Rei rolled his eyes and linked his pinkie with Rin’s. The two pinkie promised and grinned at each other giddy from happiness. Rin decided to just spend the rest of the day with Rei considering he’d be on lock down for this stunt he pulled. Just being able to be with Rei again made any future punishment bearable. 

Now filled with his usual energy Rin was ready to try again.


	4. Chapter Four: Unfit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just when Rin feels like he's getting the hang of things it all goes downhill

Rin held fast to his promise not one to back out of a challenge. He took his punishment in stride expecting the extra work and no breaks for a week without complaint. Sure it was extremely boring but Rin was determined to do this. It wasn’t only his promise to Rei that drove him but also his dad. That night after his stern lecture and punishment listing Rin lay awake in his bed thoughts drifting towards his father. He hadn’t been King for all that long and now suddenly it was all up to Rin. His father took great pride in his kingdom and it terrified Rin to think of what his dad would do if he were to see his actions today. His father had left such a big role to fill it was somewhat daunting but also exciting.

There was something about having power and strength that made Rin giddy. He would be in control of so much once he came of age. If he wanted to he could declare that all the cats in the city be brought to him to keep. All of the good he could do as well as silly things made him sleepless sometimes. It was also this same power that had him utterly terrified. So many things could go wrong if he made a wrong choice. His father spent many days going over possible ways to deal with neighboring cities. What if Rin made a choice that destroyed years of hard work and peacekeeping? What if he was a terrible ruler and brought the kingdom to ruins? Those thoughts were always the loudest.

Rin did try his best with his studies. Reading scroll after scroll of past mistakes and tactics that worked best. Hours were spent answering countless tough questions that forced him to make decisions. Some days were even dedicated to learning all about the other kingdoms and towns surrounding them. Rin questioned as to why he had to learn so much about kingdoms he had no part of and the answer was harsher than he expected.

“What if suddenly you were to have to go to war with one of them? Would you like to sit there ignorant of their strengths and weaknesses while they trample all over us?” Shiro demanded with an irritated expression on his face silencing Rin for the rest of his lessons.  
War. Rin hadn’t really thought about the possibility of war. He didn’t want to be in charge of such a devastating thing. He was too hot headed and rash for such things. It was nerve wrecking to think about such things but soon that’s all that occupied his mind. He went to bed with headaches more often than not after that.

He found that self-defense and learning about the city were his favorite lessons. A king will always be a target and shouldn’t be ignorant as to how to protect himself. Guards were only a first line a defense if Rin wanted to live in case of an attack it all came down to him in the end. He learned hand to hand combat first. One would have thought it’d be easy to grasp but with Rin’s unorthodox actions and his habit of never thinking ahead made it easy to beat him. Rushing forward without a plan or even a second of contemplation was his downfall. For days he was sore from all of the beatings he had taken during training.

“Think boy!” His instructed had yelled at him. “If your opponent is bigger and heavier than you what are you going to do?”

“Take him out as fast as possible!” Rin answered confidently only to receive a harsh flick to the forehead.

“No you unbalance them! Use your quickness and their weight against them this is some of the basics of fighting!”

So maybe self-defense wasn’t a favorite but it got him out of reading all day long. No Rin truly enjoyed walking around his city and learning more about the people that would soon depend on him. They rarely did this only at the end of each week would they walk around the city. Rin couldn’t help but love his city and gain a fierce protectiveness over it. From the hard dirt ground to the children that tugged on their mothers dresses. It made those dreadfully boring lessons worthwhile to see the people he would soon protect.

Yes for about three full months Rin felt like he actually had a grip on this whole King business. There was just one small problem. Shiro was the hardest person to please. He always seemed to find fault in everything Rin did. From how his penmanship looked to the choices he’d make. It was as if the man had no regards for the fragile confidence Rin had about the whole situation. Every day the same thing was pounded into Rin’s head. 

“You’re father wouldn’t have done that!”

“This is awful your father had better writing than this before your age!”

“What would your father think of moves like that? He’d probably think you wouldn’t last five minutes in an actual fight.”

It wasn’t easy blocking it out but Rin managed. It was of course just Shiro and he was constantly angry about everything and anything. Nothing was good enough for that man and Rin had stopped caring what he thought a long time ago. Rin could see his improvement albeit a slow one but he had about seven more years or so to get better. Even his fighting instructors’ criticism had gotten less harsh. Learning about his city wasn’t as boring as it had been. Even sometimes he got to see Rei on those rare days when the young guard in  
training was chosen to fight Rin one on one. For Rin those were the best days even if they only happened like three times.

\--

So King training wasn’t amazing and grasping it was taking some time but he had made progress. This was the justification Rin was using as his reason to stay up and read mythology for fun. He deserved this at least! Reading boring scrolls in that stuffy room had taken quite a toll on him. Snuggling deeper in his covers and only the candle light to keep him company Rin read his book late into the night.

Stupid! That was a stupid thing to do! Rin cursed his past self for thinking it’d be a good idea to stay up late. Rin had awoken to the sun way too high in the sky to be a good thing. 

Bolting out of bed and changing into proper clothing Rin rushed to that dreaded stuffy room. He had to skip breakfast not wanting to waste any more time already. Rin slid to a stop in front of the door to the study room and hesitated. Shiro was such a pain when angry and Rin hated to admit it but the man was terrifying. Rin pressed his ear to the door to try and get a grasp on just how mad Shiro was.

Livid. That is the only word Rin could think of to describe his teacher’s anger.

“Does he have any sense in that think skull or respect for other people’s time? If he continues like this the kingdom is doomed!” Rin could hear Shiro stomp around the room a bit before starting up his ranting. Rin briefly considered just skipping altogether but that would only make things worse. Deciding to brave the storm Rin opened the door and walked inside. Shiro glared at him and it took all of Rin’s willpower not to flinch from it. Bowing low Rin apologized for his lateness and took his seat.  
Shiro was just as harsh as always with his lecture which put Rin in an awful mood. The dark cloud hovering over Rin stayed there even during his sparing session. He was constantly distracted and his heart wasn’t in it at all. Messing up even the simplest of steps his instructor ended the class early. Rin cursed his lack of focus and left but not before hearing his teacher complain how about how at the rate Rin was going he wasn’t going to make much progress.

Though his dark mood had lifted by the next day his progress seemed to go with it. Despite getting to his lessons early he couldn’t make any of his brush strokes steady nor answer any of Shiro questions to his liking. It was as if he was back at the very beginning of training. His sparing classes left him sore and tired from constantly being knocked down. Skipping dinner Rin went to bed early in an attempt to sleep off the awful day.

\--

“Are you even trying?” Shiro demanded as he slammed down the parchment Rin had just finished writing on. It had been two weeks since that one mess up but all that happened was Rin seemed to get worse. No matter how much effort he put into his work it just wasn't enough. Not even the walks in the city were cheering him up. He stared at the parchment in front of him with great sadness. The brush strokes were messier than usual and ink splatter decorated the page. Rin glared at the paper wishing it would just spontaneously catch fire.

“Yes I am.” Rin answered evenly.

“I doubt it! I’ve seen better handwriting from a seven year old!” Shiro practically spat. He snorted and ripped up the paper. Clearing the table of writing utensils Shiro sighed dramatically and rubbed at his temples.

“Am I not practicing my writing any longer?” Rin questioned after a long silence.

“You’re not doing anything else today just go someplace you’re getting nowhere at the moment so do what you please.” Shiro muttered not even bothering to look in Rin’s direction. Rin nodded stiffly and stood up to leave. He could hear Shiro grumbling too himself but it was almost all nonsense. All Rin managed to make out was “Awful king” before he closed the door muffling the rest.

Too upset to do much else Rin retreated to his room. How was it possible to do so well at one point then lose it all so quickly? What did he have before that he lacked now. His will the keep going was weakening. Not even his promise with Rei was enough to make Rin want to continue on. 

“What if I really am going to be an awful king?” RIn muttered to himself as he shut his bedroom door behind him. Suddenly drained of all energy Rin flopped onto his bed and buried his face into a pillow.

The doubts he had before were filling his mind again. The constant negative barrage he was subjected to weakened his confidence greatly. For a while Rin felt like he could actually do this. Now though it felt as if all he would do was cause his city to burn. There was no way he could deal with such a thing. He obviously wasn’t suited to be a king. Every possible bad scenario Rin could cause as king played out in his mind. Accidentally starting a war, making a wrong choice and the civilians begin to hate him, letting power go to his head and becoming a tyrant, or worse being so awful at his job he’s dethroned.

“I can’t do it.” Rin decided. “I won’t do it.” Rin rolled over and off his bed mind already made up. He’d leave before given the chance to potentially mess up everything. It was selfish and most likely stupid but Rin was dead set that he wasn’t cut out for this. How could a wild child with anger issues and (supposed) overconfidence possibly be a good king? Kou was better suited to gain control of the throne.

So Rin decided to just leave it all. He was going to run away.

\--  
Rin was beyond nervous at dinner. The only thing he could focus on was if he’d actually do it. Running away was dangerous and not to mention he had no idea where he’d go. Every time he felt his mind stray from the idea of running away another image of his kingdom in ruin flashed before him. It was becoming too much to handle. His mother noticed his unusual behavior and sent him to bed early with a kiss and promise of his favorite breakfast in the morning.

Feeling beyond guilty Rin accepted and retired to his room. Once in the safety of his room Rin grabbed his nicely sized satchel bag and set it on the bed. He stared it for a long time unable to move from his spot. It wasn’t until he realized that the moon was rising did Rin actually start packing. He grabbed a few extra set of clothes and stuffed them inside. Rin roamed around his room grabbing whatever he thought would be useful. 

About eleven spate times Rin almost dumped out his bag and backed out. Never has he ever felt this conflicted before. Rin forced himself to calm down and sat down at the desk in his room. Pulling out some paper and ink Rin began a short letter. 

_“I’ve come to realize I’m not suited to be a king and I never will be. I give up with this and it’s better for everyone if I don’t become king. Please forgive me for running away and for being selfish. I do love you Mother and Kou even if right now it doesn’t seem like it._

_I’m sorry._

_Matsuoka Rin”_

It was the most pathetic excuse of a letter but it was the best Rin could manage. Resisting the urge to toss the thing altogether Rin set it on his bed with a shark on top to keep it still. Moving quickly before he lost the will again Rin hide his hair under a hood and grabbed the bag. Using a small blanket to cover himself Rin left his room. He nodded to the guard by his door and headed off in the direction of the bathroom. Rin thanked the gods that it was slightly chilly so being wrapped up so wouldn’t look strange. 

Quickly turning away to the exit that lead to the garden Rin made his way outside. The night air was cold and Rin shivered as the wind picked up. He ran past the courtyard and into the maze like garden. Not many knew about it but there was a rather large hole in the wall behind a large tree. Rin was quite sure that’s how so many cats got inside the palace grounds. Rin squeezed past the trunk of the tree dropping the blanket in the process. He took a deep breath before slipping through the hole easily. Now all he had to do was avoid guards patrolling the outside of the walls until he was well enough away.

Staying in the shadows Rin slowly inched away from the hole and to a possible exit. As he crept along he could hear footsteps. Ducking behind a large pillar Rin peeked from behind and spotted two guards and two guards in training with them. They walked past him at a slow march eyes alert for any movement. Heart hammering in his chest and breathe shallow Rin waited till they were far away enough before bolting forward. He pushed past some of the plants planted around the area and out into the streets. 

“Almost there!” Rin whispered to himself. He may be in the city but he wasn’t far enough away from home yet. It wasn’t too late to turn back but he had already gotten this far. He sat there for a moment listening for any movement. When he felt it was safe Rin left his spot to go further out into the streets. 

“Who are you and what are you doing?” A voice asked questioned sternly. When had they approached him? Jumping Rin spun around to come face to face with worried purple eyes.  
Rei.

The two boys stared at each other for a long time before Rin slowly turned around and ran. Rei could barely process what was happening but that didn’t stop him from running after Rin immediately. Sticking to alley ways and dark places Rin did his best to lose Rei in the city. Rei wasn’t giving up that easily though and managed to keep up. The blue haired child put all of his strength into running to catch up with Rin. The Prince was already winded and his legs were close to giving out not to mention his bag kept harshly hitting his leg as he ran. Rin stumbled slightly and Rei used that opportunity to lunge at him. Rei grabbed Rin by the waist and the two tumbled to the ground limbs flailing about wildly. Rin groaned as he sat up now bruised slightly. Rei fixed his glasses and stared at Rin mind filling with hundreds of questions. Rin tried to pull away from Rei but the younger child had a tight grip on him. Rin glared at Rei who returned the stare with just as much intensity. Rin was the first to back down. Lowering his gaze to the ground under them Rin cursed his luck.

‘Now what do I do?’


	5. Chapter Five: The right thing?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin and Rei make a new friend as the palace scrambles to find them.

A loud knock brought the Queen from her slumber mind groggy from sleep she told the person outside to state their business. She looked out her window to see the moon was still high in the sky. What ever could be happening at such a time?

“Queen Matsuoka? I loathe disturbing you so late at night but there are serious issues that need your attention.” 

“What is the matter?” She asks still trying to shrug off sleep. It was quiet for a moment before the guard finally managed to choke out the bad news.

“Queen a guard has informed us that the Prince left his room and had yet to return on top of this a young guard found an intruder on the grounds and gave chase but has not returned.”   
The Queen was up and out of her bed in an instant bed sheets falling to the ground. She grabbed a robe and quickly shrugged it on before throwing her door open. The guard on the other side was pale and eyes filled with worry. The Queen rushed past him and down the large hallway to her sons’ room. The guard by the door bowed at the sight of her approaching. 

“How long has he been gone?” She demanded as she throws the door open to Rin’s room.

“About an hour my Queen he seemed to be heading to the rest room but he has yet to return.” 

“We have already searched the grounds and there has been no sight of him.” Another guard chimed in reluctantly. 

The queen turned to the guards and began giving orders. 

"Continue searching the palace grounds and get every extra guard out on the streets now to look for my son and the missing guard in training. Be sure to not let any civilians know what you are searching for. There are those who can't be trusted and could go off to find my son themselves for their own personal gain. Dismissed!" With that the guard left to carry out their tasks. The palace was bustling with activity similar to when Rin was first born and they held a ceremony for the occasion. This time there were no happy feelings or cheer echoing around them. Just cold fear and dread as solemn guards ran about frantically. 

Feeling drained and filled with worry the queen walked into her sons’ room. She roamed around a bit before she stopped at his bed. It was so dark she almost missed the paper laying there. Her son’ messy handwriting scrawled on the page stared back at her. Picking it up with trembling hands she began to read it. The queen covers her mouth distraught at what she had just read. Falling back onto Rin’s bed she begins to silently weep.

_‘Oh gods where is my son?’_

\--

“Brat!”

“Jerk!”

“Troublesome!”

“Overly dramatic!”

“Am not!”

“Are to!” 

Rin tried to bite Rei’s hand but the other pulled away before he could. Seeing an opening Rin pushed Rei away but the boy grabbed onto Rin’s arm dragging the prince back with him. The two rolled around on the ground trying to get the upper hand on the other. Rin managed to trap Rei under him and raised a fist to punch him when a voice stopped them.

“P-Please stop!” 

Bolting up Rin and Rei turned to face a boy around their age. He had brown hair and bright green eyes that were wide with either fear or worry. He clutched the hem of his shirt worrying it between his small hands. Rin and Rei pulled apart from one another embarrassed at being caught fighting. The boy had just put his siblings to sleep when he heard a commotion outside. Scared that they might be dangerous to his brother and sister the boy decided to check to see what it was. He was thankful to find not scary adults causing trouble but two young boys engaged in scuffle. It wasn't until one seemed about ready to punch the other did he feel the need to step in. The blue haired one was the first to speak to him.

“I’m sorry if we disturbed you.” Rei apologized politely with a low bow. 

“It’s okay I’m just glad you’re not robbers or worse.” The boy chuckled nervously at this before something clicked. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before do you live in a different part of the city?” Because of his siblings the brown haired boy knew pretty much every child that lived in the northern part of the city. He had never once seen these two kids before. 

“Actually we live in the p-“ Rei tried to answer only to be halted by Rin.

“Pretty far part of the city!” Rin cut in quickly to stop Rei’s reply. The two looked about ready to fight again so the older boy stepped in distracting them form one another.

“Oh well where are your parents? Do they know you’re out so late?” 

“We came with some neighbors and we were supposed to go back on a camel but we kinda got lost. I guess they left without us.” Rin lied. He felt bad about it but he didn’t want this kid to know who either of them really were.

“Well if you want you can stay with me for the night.” The green eyed boy offered with a smile so sweet it made sugar seem bitter.

“Are you sure? What about your parents?” Rei asked doubtfully.

“They aren’t here at the moment they went to do some trading in a nearby city.” 

“If it’s not too much trouble the yes please.” Rin accepts thankful that they’d be off the streets for a night.

“It’s not trust me. I’m Makoto by the way”

\--

Makoto’s home wasn’t large but it surely wasn’t all that small either. The inside was comfy and very humble nothing like what Rin was used to. Oddly enough he didn’t mind as much as he thought he would. This home felt safe and welcoming like a warm towel after getting caught in a storm. Not lonely and empty like the palace had felt. This place was alive with the energy from the people who lived here. Rin could already imagine Makoto's family all loving and sweet as they prepared dinner or cleaned up. It made Rin slightly jealous which he quickly shook off not wanting to fill the place with negative emotions. As soon as they entered the front room Makoto excused himself to check on something asking them to wait here. Once the other boy was gone Rei turned to Rin ready to throttle him or worse.

“Rin we need to leave now!” Rei whispered urgently. They couldn't stay here when they had a perfectly good home to go back to. It just felt wrong.

“Then go ahead and leave.” Rin hissed back. 

“You expect me to leave without you?” Rei was appalled that Rin could suggest such a thing. What had gotten into Rin? 

“Yes.”

Rei was hurt by this but didn't show it. Instead he sighed and frowned at the ground trying to keep his temper in check. Why was Rin being so difficult? He didn’t get a chance to reply as Makoto returned at that time. He waved to them to follow him and the two did so. The back of his home was dimly lit with candles that just barely illuminated the way. The floors were covered in toys that Makoto expertly avoided after years of experience. Rin and Rei were not so lucky. They were constantly tripping over stuffed animals or building blocks that seemed to be out for blood. 

Makoto ushered them into his room before Rin could get a chance to check out the other rooms. Makoto’s room wasn’t large but it was still fairly neat save for a few clothes thrown about. Rei shuffled uncomfortably unsure of what to do. Makoto dragged out some extra sheets and pillows that he kept in the corner whenever his siblings wanted to sleep in his room. 

“You don’t have to go to sleep right if you don’t want to.” Makoto informed them as they sat down on the covers. 

“What can we do instead then?” Rin asked as he claimed the largest pillow there was. Rei rolled his eyes and took off his glasses setting them aside in a safe place.

“Talk about stuff?” Makoto suggested with a look so earnest that Rin agreed straight away.

It didn’t take long for them to get comfortable with each other and talk freely. Soon they were sharing stories about their siblings and family trying to keep their voices at a low level. They spent a good portion of the night chatting about their interests, favorites, dreams, and other silly stories that happened to surface in their minds. Rin made sure to avoid saying anything about living in the castle. Any time Rei almost mentioned it Rin would jump in to derail that train of thought. Makoto noticed but was nice enough to not question it. Everyone had a secret or two and if Rin didn’t feel like sharing he didn’t have to. Despite how much more they wanted to talk about sleep was becoming too persistent to ignore. Makoto was the first to fall asleep right in the middle of a sentence. Rin stifled his laughter while Rei made sure the older boy was tucked in properly. 

Falling asleep was harder for Rin and Rei. Every sound was magnified in the stillness of the night. Anytime Rin heard footsteps outside all he could imagine were palace guards.   
Maybe staying wasn’t such a good idea. He needed to get far away and he was much too close to the palace for comfort. Rin wasn’t even sure where he’d go. To another town near by perhaps? Work small jobs and keep money in his pocket till he was old enough to get a home on his own. Finding places to sleep would be a problem. Not to mention Rei didn’t seem like he’d be leaving his side any time soon. Rin hadn’t expected Rei to be a part of this and he really wish the other boy would just go back to the safety of the palace.

“Matsuoka-sama are you asleep yet?” Rei whispered pulling him out of his thoughts. Rin almost pretended to be asleep but instead he just quietly replied.

“No.”

“May I ask you something then?” 

“Sure.”

“What are you doing?” 

Good question. 

Just what was Rin doing? Running away was obvious but what would that help? It obviously would cause a lot of trouble. Did the trouble of running away equal the trouble he’d surely cause as king? Rin had no idea if it did. All he knew was that he didn’t feel fit to run a kingdom. Rei would laugh at him if he said that though. Not to mention hate him for breaking their promise. What an awful person Rin was. Leaving his family, breaking promises, and trouble kind people all for his own selfish reasons. What type of king did that? 

“What I feel like I have to Rei.” Rin finally answered. It was so quiet for such a long time Rin wished he had just pretended to be asleep. The answer Rei gave him was one he didn't expect at all.

“Okay but I’m not letting you do whatever it is you feel like you have to do alone. I’m staying by your side not as a guard… but as a friend.”

“Thank you Rei.” Rin whispers after the force of Rei’s statement eases slightly.

“Good night Matsuoka-Sama.”

“Yeah good night.”

Rin isn’t sure if he cried this much at his father’s funeral.


End file.
